I think it really emphasizes the lighthouse as a beacon of hope or safety for those traveling the treacherous coastlines. And the driftwood, what could become of the ship if the lighthouse failed. Well done!

I really like the drama you’ve created with the desaturation and the grainy texture in the sky works really well too. There is kind of a power in being able to process an image to fit our feelings and reactions to the place.

Trite? Heavens, NO! That’s about the last word I’d use to describe it. As soon as it came up on the screen, I did the gasp/wow! thing that I do when a photo is just that good. It’s so dramatic, and that subtle judicial use of selective color is what makes it extraordinary. B&W is what’s needed to give definition to the clouds and the textures on land; but the punch of the blue sea and the soft red of the roof of the lighthouse lift it up beyond that.